Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-17
THE EVIL OF EIYORCE.
Tables That Show Valuable Statistics for
Use In Correcting Evils

10
compilation of statistics on marriage and
divorce, including all the official cures /,
ever published by the different states on .
the subject for many years b:cs. He has
been two years 81 his task, spending e |
portion Of the time in the study Of the |
laws relating to marrisge and divorce, |
With the intention OF Writing q book On .
The subject during the coming Wiater /
Sitting IL the chapter house last night, /.
hall buried in manuscripts, reports End /.
tables, Father Converse dlSc0uTsed upon
some OF his most interesting facts and /
conclusions.
t'Let Us take marriage first" he said /
"FOr the purpose OF comparison | have
everywhere taken as my figure The mum
Der of marriages to population of 1000
within g given time. From q compare
tive table Of the number Of marriages IN
different states Of the Union carefully
prepared on this plan, fad en- the whole
that New E1gland has more marriages
than Philadelphia, and generally speak
ing that the western states have even
more tnan New England. My few st9tis-
tics CT the southern states show marriages
there. comparatively speaking, to be very
rare.
ga glarce at the rise and fall of the
number OF marriages per 1000 of populs-
ton in this country beginning about 1850
is quite interesting The periods of rise
or fall in the various states, however,
correspond surprisingly. a marked de-
crease in marriage attended the hard
| times about the year 1858. The war Of
/ the rebellion brought with it another
period OF great depression in the marriage
market Al lis end, II 1866, the number
of marriages per 1000 OF population was
greater than at any other tine Ct when
We have record, either before or since.
/ Tne widespread depression in business
succeeding the Jay Cooke failure greatly
reduced the NUMBER OF marriages, bOtl
| east and west. The year 1859 brought
an increase in the number. bus tle figures
have dwindled since.
! E."Plilade. phia's figures are remarkable
! tor two things. Sne enjoyed decided
and exclusive increase IN her m2rr1Eges
| during the Centennial exposition and g.!
the end of the war her re .urned soldiers
we're Just Q year ahead of their fellows in
other parts of the country il getting
wives. Here are the statistical figures /
have gained. Except where 1t IS other
wise stated they sre for the year 1855:
Wisconsin, II marriages to every 1000 Of
populations; Ohio, Is; Illinois, for sever
al years, 20; Michigan, IS in 1882; L.
diane, 20 in 1854; Iowa, II ia 1882; Con
necticut, Il; Rhode Island II ii 1854;
Massachusetts, l.; Vermont, 10; New
Hampshire, IS; New jersey, Il; Della
ware, in 1884; Philadelphia, l6. | have
given Philadelph!s because outside Of thsl
city and PittsbarE there is no regular
,
The clerks of the Orphans courts could
easily report the licenses issued. AZ they
are not required TO do it, they don't. II
Camden last year PSI marriages. of non.
residents we're performed, ard in The
counties bordering on the DelswaY.
river outside CT Camden 1927 were per,
formed. GA the who'll, 10 take in0i-
vidual states, the number 81 marTisg2
to & given population was IaFgtss il
Illinois.
In all states marriage by minister 0
religion according - his denomination
peculiar forms il valid Ia Maryland !
no other Wsy may t marriage be PEI
formed vGliCly. But all other states bu
? MARYLAND slow civil marriages to be per
, formed by magistrate, Judge or othe
civil officer Massachusetts and N0rtl
Carolina require that there be a cere-
mo1y, and in Tennessee, Texas, Virgini
and Maine it is probable that d ceremOn,
is necessary. IL some states the question
has never been settled, bUE in about hal
of the states tits well settled law that PEG
pie may marry themselves without an
ceremony. Pennsylvania has licens
law, but makes no provision that & mar
rieg5 contracted without regard TO i
: is uull aud void. Other states that permi
: self marrying are Alabama, Clliornia
Georgia, Illinois, lows, Louisiana, Mich
igan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri
| New Jersey, O1io, South Carolina spC
Wisconsin.
"In investigating divorces I have con
Guided that the ratio OF divorces t
marriages is the best fIure TO use. Bu
r eight states publish OFF ;isl returns c
, divorces. | give the figures | have Oh
: tanned for those ststes, The year is ISIS
: unless otherwise stated: New Jersey 70
, five years, beginning 1873, l divorce to )
marriages; Massachusetts, l to %; Yer
mont, l TO l3; Connecticut, to IA; Ohio
/ to lG; Rhode ISlaad, to g. New Hamp
e SHIRE, to 10; Indiana. to IL; Philsdel
4 phis had divorce to 81 marriages in ISIS;
:. aud ] to % marriages IN 1886.
: The worst condition Of affairs l hav
i found was in New hampshire, in 1850
| when there was divorce granted 70
every eight marriages. They ssy that il
:, Denver Il 1884 there was divorce t
u every four marriages, but thst is no
I, official. The wife seeks divorce twice q
u often as the husband. Out of the tote
{ of marriages the proportion of divorce
= lis shown by my tables to be CROWN
q steadily greater throughout the country
= "In two states change OF the laws ha
y. checked this decadeDce, viz; the repe;
4 Of the Omnibus clause in Connecticut i
+ 1873 or 1879, ard some change of th
u same natures in Vermont in 1885.
"Sou;h Carolina grants DO divorces
u Every other state or territory grant
: them, but each has different rules as t
y the csuses, parties, methods and othe
u details
"Within the last few years legislatic
has come to favor divorce, but happi
within the same time other movemen
nave been started IN sn opposite dire
= tioA. There gre great snd crying evils
5, this matter Of marriage and divorce. S
I'd cret marriages sre encouraged. II t!
I great majority Of states & boy over fou,
in teen ana 3 girl over twelve Can mar
J. with or without the consent Of t
I'd parents. Consent is supposed TO be give